The Power of Words is a dynamic that is created through the interaction of the speaker and the listener.  For the truest meaning to be absorbed it needs to be a direct conversation with people both desiring to communicate clearly and to hear one another.

Last week, I had a situation where I was trying to figure out a simple request for a lunch event my daughter was planning on attending.  Through our conversation we realized the information my daughter received from A was received from a conversation from B from a conversation with C and possibly came from a conversation with D.  So my daughter had no idea what the actual event was.  I suggested she bi-pass the chain, and after a good laugh, she went to the source and was able to make a plan.

Though this event was extreme, with layers of complexity, it really showed me how often I go an indirect route to get information.  And the danger with this is that each time the information is communicating, it brings in the experiences and reactions of the parties involved, and a little bit of the information might change, or parts might be left out.  So not only does the information get skewed, but sometimes meanings are associated with the Words that aren’t always there.  The Words aren’t always negative, but can create problems when we are trying to understand a situation.

There are lots of scriptures on the Words we speak, and the dangers of not telling the truth.  A couple of warning include: Proverbs 25:18 “Telling lies about others is as harmful as hitting them with an ax, wounding them with a sword, or shooting them with a sharp arrow.” And Proverbs 21:23 “Whosoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble.” I tend to think of these verses as applying when I am emotionally wired and  don’t want to say something harmful, but I should also keep them in mind when I retell a story that is not mine to share, claim my reactions as the truth, and when I don’t really listen to the information clearly to have a true response.

It often begins with awareness and intent, and I pray that I continue to really listen to the Words of others, and be more careful at the Words I speak.  It is important for me to pay attention to all the other thoughts and feelings that come to mind, as this can be part of my healing journey related to past experience, yet in the moment, I must try to stay in the truth of the moment, and with a heart of openness and love.

Grace and Truth
Elissa Noble
MUMC Office Manager